Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) today announced the appointment of Diane M. Dietz as the company’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Ms. Dietz will oversee the company’s marketing, merchandising, manufacturing and distribution functions. She will report directly to Safeway’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Steven A. Burd.
Ms. Dietz comes to Safeway after a 19-year career with Proctor and Gamble (P&G), where she most recently ran one of the company’s largest business units. Along with having full P&L responsibility for brands including Crest toothpaste, Oral-B toothbrushes and Scope rinses, Ms. Dietz oversaw all aspects of the business including the unit’s sales, sourcing, marketing, manufacturing, quality control, supply chain, R&D, market research and HR functions. She is widely credited with leading the turnaround of P&G’s Oral Care North America unit and rejuvenating the Crest brand.
Before her most recent assignment, Ms. Dietz ran a broad range of brand management and marketing functions across the P&G organization and developed a reputation as a motivator and an innovator. She is well known in both the consumer packaged goods and retail industries for her proven ability to drive sales and deliver dramatic improvements across a range of business metrics. Ms. Dietz holds a Bachelors Degree in Marketing & Economics from Northern Illinois University.
“We are pleased to have added an executive of Diane’s caliber to our executive team,” said Mr. Burd. “Her broad experience running one of the most valuable brand portfolios in the world, and her demonstrated ability to drive sales at retail are well-suited for her responsibilities at Safeway.”
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates 1,740 stores in the United States and Canada and had annual sales of $42 billion in 2007. Safeway supports a broad range of charitable and community programs and in 2007 donated more than $172 million to important causes, such as cancer research, education, food banks and programs focused on assisting people with disabilities. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.
Contacts:
Teena Massingill, 925-467-3810
